1. Jean-Paul Sartre, the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the prize because he had consistently declined all official honors. Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature, accepted first, and then later declined the prize because he was forced to by the authorities of his country (Soviet Union).

2. The youngest recipient was Rudyard Kipling, known for The Jungle Book. Hewas 42 years old when he was awarded the Literature Prize in 1907. The oldest recipient was Doris Lessing, who was 88 when she received the prize in 2007.

3. Many believe that Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but he was actually awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. In his lifetime, Churchill got 20 nominations for the Literature Prize and two for the Nobel Peace Prize.

4. Thomas Mann won the prize “principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature”.

5. Although Saul Bellow was born in Canada, he was always identified as American. Alice Munro was the first Canadian writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.